Ördögház
Ördögház (Hungarian for Devil('s) House) is a fictional building from the Underworld series, located in Hungary near the town of Szentendre (see map). It is located on the Danube bank at the foot of the Pilis Hills, due north of the city of Budapest. Ördögház has served as the seat of power for the Old World Coven since the loss of Castle Corvinus, before it was burned to the ground by Marcus Corvinus in the early events of Underworld: Evolution. ''Underworld'' In Underworld, the ancient building houses a gathering of the Old World Coven, ruled by the Vampire Elder Viktor. Every century, a Vampire Elder returns to his/her sarcophagus in the Elder's Chamber/Crypt, located in the lowest level of Ördögház, to hibernate for the next two centuries, while another Elder is awakened to lead the Coven. During the events of Underworld, Kraven is the acting regent of the mansion. ''Underworld: Evolution'' In Underworld: Evolution, Marcus Corvinus burns Ördögház to the ground after killing all of the mansion's inhabitants. When Samuel comments to Marcus's father that Marcus destroyed his own Coven, Alexander notes that it was never Marcus's Coven in the first place, a reference to Marcus's rivalry with his fellow Vampire Elders, Viktor, and Amelia. Rooms Within Ördögház are a number of locations, most of them the personal chambers of various Vampires. Mounted security cameras are scattered throughout Ördögház to protect and ensure the safety of Ordoghaz and the vampires. The grounds are fenced and patrolled by armed sentries with dogs and modern electronic surveillance devices are in place. Ördögház is a sprawling Gothic edifice with jagged spires and battlements that rose atop the looming stone walls, while majestic columns and pointed arches adorned its brooding facade. In the first novelization, a circular fountain is situated across the driveway from the wide arched doorway and marble steps. The hallways have burgundy red floors with matching chairs. Foyer According to the first novelization, the main entrance, a pair of large, heavy oaken doors, opens up into the Foyer. The floor features marble tiles. Priceless tapestries and oil paintings hang from oak-paneled walls. The Foyer also features the sweeping main stairway and an immense crystal chandelier. Here, Fledgling Vampires, like doormen, are waiting on hand for higher-ranking members of the Coven who enter through the doors. A hanging tapestry in the Foyer serves as the entrance from the Foyer into the Grand Salon. In the film, both the Foyer and the Grand Salon are one and the same. Grand Salon Accessible from the Foyer through an opening hidden behind a hanging tapestry, the Grand Salon is a spacious, luxurious reception area, decorated in tastefully subdued tones of black and red and rich walnut brown. The Grand Salon features a rose-colored wool carpet bearing a floral design. The walls feature elaborately carved wooden moldings which run the borders of the ceiling, and candelabras mounted along the walls and hanging down from the ceiling. Thick, heavy velvet curtains of deepest burgundy are draped closed over the windows. Ornamental brass lamps and opaque black shades rested upon antique mahogany end tables. A number of plush, velvet divans are kept in there for the hedonistic members of the Coven, who spend a lot of their time lounging about in the Grand Salon, indulging themselves. Here gala receptions and parties are held, such as the welcoming of the Lady Amelia's envoy, Dmitri, and other important events. Here is also where Kraven hosted his many blood orgies, during his reign as regent. In the film, both the Foyer and the Grand Salon are one and the same. Private suites Ördögház features a number of private suites and personal chambers for the High-ranking members of the Coven. The Master suite belongs to Viktor, and while Viktor was still in hibernation Kraven had taken residence in it during his stint as regent in Viktor's absence. It featured a large ensuite bathroom, a dressing room the size of a small apartment, an armoire of gargantuan proportions, (which Kraven re-purposed for his considerable wardrobe), a trifold mirror, an intricate Persian rug, and a custom-made Tiffany lamp. Kraven also has a wooden desk, a grand chair, dark blue drapes with matching chairs and sofa, and a fireplace. Other private suites, like Selene's, are also roomy and each includes an ensuite bathroom. Selene's elevated status in the Coven entitled her to a private suite including a balcony overlooking the lawn, on the front side of the Mansion, a steel desk, bookshelves, a laptop, blue drapes, a lamp and a portrait of her human family on her desk. In the case of the low-ranking Vampires/Fledglings, the members of the household, otherwise known as the domestics, or maids, (i.e. Erika), are delegated to the servant's quarters, and each dormitory must be shared by perhaps a half-dozen occupants at a time. Elders' Chamber In the lower parts of the mansion lies the Elders' Chamber, a room designed to hold the coffins of the hibernating Vampire Elders. A large portion of the chamber is dedicated to an open floor, underneath which lie the hibernating Elders. Ornate designs centered around the symbols of each Elder (A, V, M) contain a turning mechanism that, when applied, opens the hatch, causing the Elder's coffin to rise into the air so that a blood drip can be administered, awakening the sleeping Vampire. Once the coffin is fully removed, the hatch automatically returns to its original position. In the Underworld novelization, the Crypt has polished granite steps that lead to a sunken area on the floor. At the center of this lower tier, housed within a concentric pattern of interwoven Celtic circles, were three shining bronze hatches of the three Vampire Elders embedded in the floor. There is plexiglass on the floor. The lengthy corridor is lined with marble busts, commemorating many of the coven’s greatest warriors and leaders. There is also a viewing room with marble benches that lined the narrow chamber, facing what appeared to be a blank stone wall. The viewing room is air-conditioned and there is an opaque mirror that instantly turns transparent when at the security booth. A vampire at the security booth hits a button on the control panel and the wall instantly splits in half, sliding away to expose the plexiglass window underneath. Further back in the room is a recovery chamber containing various instruments and blood bags, used to revive the Elders to full strength. A contraption consisting of several tubes hangs from the ceiling, designed to be attached to the body of the waking Elder to administer large quantities of blood directly into their system. A single throne sits at the front of the recovery chamber, in which the Elders will lounge as they recover. The Elders' Chamber/Crypt is carefully guarded by Death Dealers at all times to ensure the Elders are not awakened ahead of schedule. During the events of Underworld, a Death Dealer named Duncan is in charge of guarding the Crypt. The monitor room has computer monitors, a control panel, a microphone, and chairs. The monitor room is usually run by a Death Dealer to guard the Elders' Chamber. The monitor room leads to the viewing room and a door to the Crypt. Library A large library can be found inside the mansion, packed with books of various subjects. Dark oaken bookshelves sag beneath countless volumes of forgotten lore and history. Illuminated manuscripts, painstakingly illustrated and copied by medieval monks, share the overcrowded shelves with the abundant literary fruits of post-Gutenberg generations. Leather-bound memoirs, histories, and codexes are packed two deep in places or piled high upon the floor in tottering stacks that threatened to topple over at any minute. Dusty artifacts were scattered here and there among the copious written records: a ceremonial brass chalice from the thirteenth century, the curved scimitar of a long-dead Ottoman prince, an embossed silver plate commemorating the epic Battle of Vezekeny in 1654, a filigreed golden scepter bearing the royal crest of Transylvania—all precious relics from nearly nine hundred years of vampiric history. A Victorian-style maple table rests in the center of the library. Because the hedonistic Vampires of the mansion are uninterested in the past, the room is largely untouched, and even the maids refuse to venture there. A thick layer of dust covers everything, and books seem to be piled haphazardly throughout the room. Within the library is a locked room, which contains books and records related to the history of the Vampire species. The Vampires are forbidden to enter this part of the library, as digging into the past is forbidden by the Elders. Dojo The Dojo is the base of operations for the Death Dealers, the warrior elite and military of the Vampire Nation. It is located in the renovated attic loft space of Ördögház. In the first novelization, the dojo is Spartan in appearance in contrast to the opulence decor of the vast estate. Known aspects of the Death Dealers' Dojo include sparring mats, where Death Dealers practice hand-to-hand combat and martial arts and an armory that boasts an impressive collection of weapons, ranging from medieval and exotic knives, daggers, and swords, to a wide range of firearms with silver-plated ammunition. There is also a firing range; soundproofed, complete with ceramic busts used for target practice. Kahn's workspace is also here, where he creates the silver nitrate bullets after reverse-engineering the Lycans' Ultraviolet ammunition. Known Members * Viktor (presiding Elder) † * Marcus Corvinus (during hibernation) † * Amelia (during hibernation) † * Selene (before destruction) * Kraven (Regent) † * Rigel † * Nathaniel † * Erika * Kahn † * Soren † * Timea * Zsuzsa * Wolfgang * Dominique * Duncan * Mason * Vampire Council members Trivia * According to Len Wiseman, on the Blu-ray bonus featurettes for the first film, the building that was used for the exterior and most of the interior of Ördögház was actually a library, known for its Baroque period design. During post-production phase of the film, D.I. was used to make the interior rooms furnishings and fittings appear darker in color. * The Hungarian words "Ördög" and "Ház, means "Devil" and "House", which can be translated to Devil's House. * It is unknown if Ördögház is a permanent home to the current occupants seen in the first film and is open to the entire Coven, or if it is only open to a select few at certain times of ceremony, such as Awakenings. * The location of Ördögház's estate, or at least the outside is Nádasdy Mansion in Nádasladány, Hungary. * It is unknown if Ördögház is a branch of the Old World Coven or the Budapest Coven. Gallery es:Ördögház fr:Ördögház Category:Locations Category:Underworld locations Category:Evolution locations Category:Blood Enemy locations